Page 26 - SKILLS - 2023

INDUSTRIES IN FOCUS
Clean Energy:
A Career That Helps Make a Difference
BY RITA ROSS
As the state’s clean-energy
economy continues to expand,
job opportunities are sprouting up across Westchester in a variety of sectors, ranging from geothermal to
solar to wind energy and more.
One key sign that the county is leaning green is its
Bronze Certified Climate Smart Community rating — a state designation for municipalities that agree to take certain steps to tackle climate change.
A recent New York Clean Energy Industry Report notes that employment in the sustainable-energy sector has now surpassed pre-pandemic levels; it’s also one of the state’s job categories that bounced back fastest.
The November 2022 report from the New York
State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) also points out that clean-energy employment outpaced traditional energy jobs in the state in 2021. (The terms sustainable and renewable energy are technically different, but both fall under the umbrella of clean energy and are often used interchangeably).
“There’s going to be a tremendous need for more talent in the clean-energy sector. And there’s going to have to be re-skilling and up-skilling in order to service the new energy economy,” says Michael Romita, president and CEO of the Westchester County Association, a regional economic development and business advocacy organization.
Overall, New York had more than 165,000 clean-energy jobs at the end of 2021 — a 17% jump since 2015. Clean- energy installation employment saw the biggest boost, with nearly 5,200 new jobs, according to NYSERDA.
Statewide Funding
The state has recently taken several giant steps in
the challenge to make clean energy viable in New York.
The Cap-and-Invest program announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul in January 2023 directs the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and NYSERDA to design programs to help set a yearly cap on state pollution levels.
Its goals are linked to the 2019 state Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (also known as the Climate Act), requiring New York to slash greenhouse-gas emissions by 40% from 1990 levels by 2030, and to cut them by no less than 85% by 2050.
George Drapeau, public affairs specialist for the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, points out another state program that will lead to a hike in clean-energy jobs: The $4.2 billion Clean Air, Clean Water and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act passed
in November 2022. It includes up to $1.5 billion for green infrastructure and renewable energy projects and may create up to 100,000 new jobs.
“Along with federal money from the infrastructure bill recently passed by Congress, this bond act will help fund a lot of project work and upgrades in our region,” Drapeau says.
Learning and Earning
Green-energy jobs can bring a paycheck with a purpose, offering employment coupled with the satisfaction of choosing a career that helps make a difference. What’s more, previous training can be valuable when seeking green-energy jobs.
“Some skills do overlap and carry over,” says Tracy Racicot, director of the Center for Adult & Community Services at Southern Westchester BOCES. “For example, there’s a big push now in green technology for heat-pump installation. [Heat pumps are] basically a reverse air conditioner, so if you’re an HVAC technician, you’d be using the same skill set.”
At BOCES of Putnam and Northern Westchester, clean- energy courses include an online program in Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED), highlighting green- building and sustainable-design practices.
24 2023 SKILLS What’s Hot. What’s Next. What’s Needed.
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